England Call Up Khan and Bopara

Well it appears that England will go into the fourth (or third test depending on your views of the Antigua debacle) test without key players Flintoff and possibly Swann. Ryan Sidebottom is also injured, however, after his abysmal game in Jamaica, his recent form and apparent unreadyness to return to top class cricket after injury means not too many are concerned.

Flintoff and Swann, however, are a big concern.

Swann's bowling was outstanding in the second test and put Panesar to shame, with Flintoff being the dominant force as ever, Englands attack seems to have been neutered.

There is hope, however, as the ever improving Stuart Broad showed he is fast becoming Englands spearhead bowler, with an accurate line and length and metronomic discipline he will certainly have some part to play in the next test.

Harmison is still as on/off as always and didn't look to threaten much in the last test with Jimmy Anderson bowling well with the new ball, getting swing where others failed but unluckily not finding any edges.

Still, surely we can hope for the selectors to provide us with a quality seamer who has proven his worth over the county summer and taken heaps of wickets? Well...sort of, Amjad Khan.

Now I hear he is a great seamer for Kent and Rob Key speaks very highly of him (a man I have a lot of respect for and was lobbying for him to be the new captain earlier this year). But is he English? Not even close... He has played for Denmark U17 and now, it seems, will play for England.

He may be good, but I can't help but feel sorry for Kabir Ali, Graeme Onions and Steven Finn, among others, who are not only fine, fine bowlers but are English. The selectors are surely having a laugh. We can only hope Bopara is chosen to play rather than Khan, lest we become a laughing stock again for fielding non-nationals.

Now onto the wicket keeper. Now, I've never been in Matt Prior's fan club, but he has been fantastic in this series, and it's really a shame he has to leave (but congratulations on the new baby!) and Tim Ambrose is coming in.

Not that I dislike Tim Ambrose, but the training reports say he couldn't hit a medicine ball with an oar at the moment...An out of form Ambrose is a further blow to the team (and where is James Foster, eh?).

Still, we can't pick a team to please everyone, and as long as Shah, Anderson and Broad retain their places in the squad I'm a fairly happy fan. Good luck to Strauss in the next test, he is going to need it...especially as it seems he walks under a ladder everytime he goes out onto the field...